It’s an unsustainable model: the young don’t have the knowledge required to effectively communicate with the old. They’re also pushing people into retirement and alternate careers earlier and earlier. In fact, 79% of those working in the advertising industry believe it comes across as ageist, and a quarter have been told they’re ‘too old’ when turned down for a position. For many agencies and companies, the rise of digital has given them an easy way to terminate employees; with veiled comments about cultural fits and lack of digital nativeness, regardless of experience and competence.

For two decades 22% of discrimination charges received by the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission have been based on ageism. Those as young as 32 keep their ages a secret. It’s a problem that isn’t just bad for culture, it’s bad for business.

In a society which values the working, growing old is a source of fear and anxiety. But a study which interviewed those between 50 and 92 found that the retired feel freer than ever to be themselves, less weighed down by societal expectation and responsibilities, and have time to finally pursue many of the things they couldn’t before. They’re less anxious about aging than young people are, but they are worried about losing their independence.

This isn’t a
demographic that is tired and slow. This is a demographic that is eager to make
the most of the time they have. They want to be respected. They want to be
seen.

How is it, that this
enormous, wealthy demographic is consistently ignored by the advertising
industry? Could it be because of a workplace culture that deifies the young and
ages out employees over 40? Or does this problem run deeper?

The stereotypes of growing old.

Are ageing people
pushed out of employment, and not advertised to, for the same reason?

If so, it might be attributed to the boundless stereotypes which surround them.

Studies have shown that people don’t stop travelling until their late seventies and eighties. Seniors account for half of the international flights yearly. In fact, they’re drawn to Adrenalin-heavy and demanding activities. They don’t associate themselves with old age. To assume that anyone over 50 is set in their ways, dull and dying isn’t just a mistake: it’s offensive.

Stereotype Three: Seniors don’t have sex.

In a society as sex-obsessed as ours (skeptics need only consider the ‘sex sells’ mantra), it’s key to note that sex isn’t limited to our fertile years. While many young people say they find sex amongst seniors normal, a study showed their implicit belief was one of prejudice, with young men particularly uncomfortable with the idea of senior sex. But by removing and denying the sexuality of those in the over 50’s bracket, advertisers and youth flatten them into one-dimensional people: sexless, and old.

Most seniors use the Internet as a daily part of their lives. They text. They browse. 70% have Facebook accounts to stay in touch with their friends and families, and 73% of those in the 50-64 bracket own a smartphone. In the 65 plus category, it’s still 46%. If you show them technology, and support them in learning how to use it, they will.

Advertisers must stay open-minded.

Advertisers and marketers are missing out on an entire segment. They are missing the opportunity to sell existing products more widely and are out of touch with what people really want.

For
example, take light cars. They can only drive up to 45 kilometres an hour, have
a limited engine, and are promoted to those as young as fifteen. For many,
they’re seen as the ideal practice vehicle, and in Germany, they can be driven
with only a moped licence.

They
are advertised primarily to the young, and yet, increasingly, are being driven
by the old: for drivers who want to remain mobile but who are losing confidence
in their driving skills, light cars are an ideal precaution.

For
advertisers working across every industry there are massive opportunities: they
only need to step away from the stereotypes and start evaluating how people are
truly living their lives.

A
key part of this process will be systematically battling the ageism within
advertising companies themselves. While the problem is slowly receiving a
little light, few companies have implemented any changes – if a shift is
happening, it is happening at far too slow a rate.

A proposed solution.

The number of advertisements labelled tone deaf because they lacked members of their target demographic on the creative team is staggering. From Ancestry.com whitewashing history to Audi comparing picking a bride to buying a car, creative teams which lack their target demographic often end up offensive.

Let seniors be the heroes in their own stories. A 2017 insurance campaign by Sunlife did just that; beginning with a man on a cruise declaring that he, at 59, was too young to be there – before zip-lining onto a beach bar. The tagline? I have a life.

There
is little information available about how the demographic really does behave.
How to connect with them. How best to communicate.

For
advertisers looking to create respectful, engaging advertisements for over 50’s
there’s only one thing to do: stop forcing people out of the industry at forty
and let the target demographic have a say.

If
advertising wants to benefit from the current over fifties market, and the
massive group that is the baby boomers, they need experienced advertisers and
marketers now.

Older
demographics can and do learn how to use technology and social media sites. So
if being non-tech natives is what’s holding employees back, employers should
consider introducing yearly training weeks to keep them up to date.